The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-03-26

he said after pause.
at has everything to do with the bank,
Mr. Mason. This note is stolen one"
Young Mason started as if shot, then
looked at the manager with the finest imi-
tation of injured innocence / ever saw.
81 know nothing of that, sir. But L
would rather not explain how got it"
Perhaps not. But you had better, and
when my nephew returns" Che was out
driving Mrs Dale in her pony carriage)
Il shall ask him for an explanation ofhow
he and you, my clerks, come to be at a
pot-house studying sporting paper"
Here the young chap looked-if you will
excuse my little joke-quite chap-fallen, as
I've heard Hamlet say.) However, I've
known you and your parents so long" the
manager went on in kinder tone, shat if
you'll only admit you've been betting like
a couple of young fools, I'll see what can
be done, though | am very wrong in doing
so, to hush the thing up"
The young man thereupon vowed and
protested that he and Mr. Lenton never
betted, and that as for the note, he had it
paid him by Mr.. Philips, the grocer.
"Then he must know something about it,
and why was it paid you" said Sir. Dale.
/ Here Mason looked very red again, and
stammered out it was for prize bull-terrier
pup. Being urged by Mr.. Dale to explain
! further he confessed that he and young
Lenton had joint stock of bull-terriers,
which they bred and showed Hence their
study of the sporting paper. Mr.. Dale
seemed somewhat to believe this story
(though even breeding bull-terriers scandal
lied his transporting heart), but didn't,
and thought what muff he must be to
swallow such rubbish.
However, he gravely enjoined secrecy on
Mason, dismissed him, and then went with
me to see Mr.. Phillips, who was sporting
grocer of very free-and-easy manners, and
not customer of Mr.. Dale's establishment.
Mr.. Dale was too official, and the grocer
turned rusty. So l tipped him the wink
to go, and remaining alone, got him to ac-
company me to his favorite house of call,
where we had Irish cold together Il was
supposed on this occasion to be the former
owner of the note), and he became very
talkative, though expressing his dislike of
that "stuck-up manager" in a manner not
uncommon among gentlemen who want
doubtful bills discounted.
He confirmed Mason's story completely.
As for the note, he believed he took it of
book maker named Flash Dick, at Don
caster, on the previous "Leger Day" tall,
black-eyed man with splendid teeth
felt puzzled again. Certainly betting
and the note had had some connection, but
not according to my theory. So home |
went. told Mr.. Dale what l heard, and
found him evidentally very doubtful of my
prospects of doing him any good. He
seemed thoroughly worried, said he should
not speak to his nephew that night, but
should take some chloral and go to bed
early, and so he did.
Now | had curious fancy or recollec-
ton of something read formerly, that oe-
CURED to me when, as | said just now, |
found him prowling about the house at
small hours, and that was of man robbing
himself when walking in his sleep. This
might be so here, or, which was more like
ly, Mr.. Lenton (whom still suspected)
might, having seen his uncle taking his
sleeping dTaught, think it fine chance to
DO a little wide-awake walking on bis own
account.
Anyhow, resolved after the house was
quiet to watch. l was piqued, confess
Well, l hid myself in the cupboard
which commanded view of the safe, and
wretchedly cold it was, besides o cramped
position to stand In. got sleapE and dis
gusted, when noise caught my ear, very
slight, but enough. There was somebody
about. was alert-all eyes and ears in a
minute. Nor, at all events, | should dis
cover something. And then faint light
cleaned through the door opening into the
bank, and came round the corner towards
the glass room, and the figure carrying it
was Mr.. Dale Yes, could swear to his
blue dressing-gown anywhere, for he would
sometimes smoke in it, and-but- why
was it pulled over his head?
And here, as the figure stopped before
the safe, tbs dgessiag gown was thrown
back from the head, and showed mass of
flowing brown hair and a pale beautiful
face, the eyes full of terror-the face of
Mrs Dale!
l saw her from her shapely head to
the bare white feet that peeped under the
blue edge of the dressing-gown. Like &
fash it passed through my mindl How
clever it was to wear her husbands dress
ing-gown, knowing how he sometimes
proWled about. OF course she took the
nights when he slept tired out and of
course she had his keys at her command.
But who p0ah have thought it?
She stopped, opened the safe, took out
some notes, selected one, relocked the safe,
and gave long shivering look round.
Meanwhile, for dutys duty, blew her
light out and snatched the note from her
hand. She gave a scream that l shall
never forget, and tainted. | was sorry as
l ran up to her husbands room, but if I
hadn't called his own eyes as evidence he'd
never have believed me, / reused him,
showed him the note, told him the thief
was in the back parlor, and begged him to
come down. He threw his clothes on,
glanced at his wife's empty place, then,
with look of such agony as touched gwen
my tough heart; he fal down stairs.
Cha was lying there, the keys clenched
in her hand. He franticaiiy kissed her,
dashed water in her face, and revived her,
Then the kneeling, shiyeFiag, sohhing, mis-
erable woman told all. She had robbed
the safe, aud no one else knew of it, The
uotes were sent to her only brother-a
thorough soamp-supposed to be dead,
recently turned up, but idolized by his
sister, and a mere gambler-in fact, the
very Flash Dick Mr.. Phillips knew.
i left husband and wife together. The
next morning poor Mr.. Dale made the
fullest apology to his nephew and Mason,
and resigned his appointment. No one
knew the secret but myself, and l didn't
need his entreaties, when he gave me my
handsome fee, to respect it. And he and
she sailed for Australia, for his private
means were good Whether she was q
good wife to him afterwards l don't know
anyhow, she ought to have been.